Eobeet foebes



PATENTED' JAN.-'19 1904.

3. FORBES. TRUNK STRAP. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26,1903.

N0 MODEL.

M9166 riiy Alfie In z/e'n Z0 r. 2044,: 7

Witnesses.-

' UNITED STATES? Patented January 19, 1904.

ROBERT FORBES, OF DOVVNTEVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

TRUNK-STRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 749,782, dated January 19, 1904.

Application filed August 26, 1908. 4 Serial No. 170,890. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT FoRBEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Downieville, in the county of Sierra and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunk-Straps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in trunk-straps, the object of my invention being to provide a simple and convenient device for securely binding a trunk against breaking or bursting open.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of this character which shall not be liable to be shifted or broken when the trunk is being slid over. the edge of a wagon or the floor of a railway-car.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which shall be adjustable, so as totslecure the greatest degree of tightness poss1 e.

My invention therefore resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts for the above ends hereinafter fully specified, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a trunk equipped with two of my improved trunk-straps. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the fastening of the trunkstrap. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the same. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the same closed. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the same open. Fig. 6 is a cross-section. Fig. 7 is a detail showing a union between sections of the strap.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a trunk to which my improved trunk-straps are shown as applied. 2 represents the bands of said straps, preferably metallic. They are preferably made in sections joined at a point behind the hinges of the trunk-lid by loops 3,

so as to be flexible at that level to facilitate the opening of the trunk. The upper section of the band is secured to a yoke 4, the inwardly-bent ends5 of which extend into ribs 6, cast upon the under side of a locking-lever or cover-plate 7. Said ribs have U-shaped recesses 8, by which they are pivoted upon the ends of a cross-bar 9, carried byarms 10 of a forked adjusting block or nut 11. In said nut 11 is screwed a screw 12, extending from a loop 13, secured to the end of the lower section of the trunk-strap. Said recesses 8 open upwardly, and the plate 7 terminates on the near side of said recesses to permit the ends of the cross-bar 9 to enter said recesses to act as pivots for said lever 7 upon said cross-bar. It will thus be seen that the device comprising the block or nut 11 and the screw 12, which is secured to one end of the band, has a pivot .9, and that the lever 7, which is pivotally connected, by means of the ribs 6, with the bent ends 5 of the yoke 4, and thereby with the other end of the band, detachably engages said pivot 9 at a point on the side of said pivotal connection 5 opposite tothe main portion of the lever.

Infastening the trunk-strap the cover-plate I is first turned over or upward toward the upper section, so that the open ends of the recesses 8 in'the bars face downward. Said recesses are then passed onto the ends of the cross-bar 9, and said cover-plate is then swung upon the ends of the bar to close the same down upon the trunk, which brings the ends 5 of the yoke nearer to the trunk than the ends the recessed ends of the ribs are caused to engage the ends of the cross-bar, and the locking-plate is swung over to close down and cover the operative mechanism of the fastening device. It will be observed that said cover-plate has inclined or beveled edges at the sides, fitting snugly down upon the trunk. The obj ect of this is to avoid displacement and breakage of the strap or fastening device should that side of the trunk against which the fastening device rests he slid against a projecting edge, as the edge of a wagon-bottom or of the bottom of a railway-car. The sloping edges of the cover-plate enable said plate to rise and passlover the projecting obstruction.

I claim 1. A trunk-strap comprising a band, a device secured to one end of said band and having a pivot, and a lever pivotally connected withthe other end of said band and detachably engaging said pivot at a point on the side of said pivotal connection opposite to the main portion of the lever, substantially as described.

2. A trunk-strap comprising a band, a device secured to one end of said band and having a pivot, and a lever pivotally connected with the other end of said band and detachably engaging said pivot at a point on the side of said pivotal connection opposite to the main portion of the lever, said lever having curved or beveled edges to rest upon the trunk and raise the same over a projecting obstruction, substantially as described.

3. A trunk-strap comprising a band, a device secured to one end of said band and having a pivot, and a lever pivotally connected with the other end of said band and detachably engaging said pivot ata point on the side of said pivotal connection opposite to the main portion of the lever, said device comprising adjustable portions whereby the length of the trunk-strap may be varied, substantially as described.

4. A trunk-strap comprising a band, a device secured to one end of said band and having a pivot, and a lever pivotally connected with the other end of said band and detachably engaging said pivot at a point on the side of said pivotal connection opposite to the main portion of the lever, the pivotal connection of said lever with the strap lying below its pivotal connection with the device when the lever is closed, substantially as described.

5. A trunk-strap comprising a band, a device secured to one end of said band and having a pivot, and a lever pivotally connected with the other end of said band and detachably engaging said pivot at a point on the side of said pivotal connection opposite to the main portion of the lever, and a locking device for holding said lever and device together, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two'subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT FORBES. Witnesses A. J QMcGrILL, Ross L. TAYLOR. 

